Typical of the prior art references regarding heated and adjacent area surfaces of a vehicle windshield, for use in an anutomotive vehicle are U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,325,561; 4,928,345; 4,670,933; 4,603,451; 4,497,083; 4,360,941; 3,619,556; 3,447,186; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 342,225; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 341,115; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 324,014; issued respectively to Kotlar, Meltzer et al., Toplensky, VanSickle, Nielsen, Jr. et al., Mabie, Delbel et al., Senkewich Heckman et al., Papania, and Runiner; each of which was located during the course of a patent search; each being enclosed by full or gazette copy with the application herein as filed pursuant to Rule regarding disclosure of prior art.
The Senkewich '186 patent discloses "a windshield wiper in the form of an almost closed elongated box or collector into which hot air or a liquid medium enters" (Senkewich, Col. 1, lines 42-44). the present invention operates on the basis of a very differently constructed "open-ended shroud housing subassembly." Additionally, it will be noted that Senkewich does not utilize or work in combination with a truly conventional wiper blade unit as is the case in the present invention; but, instead, utilizes a specially adopted wiper blade; its element 15, which is differently installed and retained, from the present invention, by three (3) stops (element 18 therein) and spring clamps (element 19) (Senkewich, Col. 2, lines 41-50). Other significant differences will be noted in the Senkewich reference from the present invention, such as the means for installment in reference to a conventional wiper arm and wiper frame and blade assembly, the structure and positional orientation of the perforated duct means and heated fluid entry port, and the heating and pump assembly means of the present invention.
The Kotlar '561 patent discloses a windshield wiper assembly having a thin heater wire structured within the length of a flexible wiper blade, with the wiper blade being enclosed within a flexible cover which defines a dead air space heated somewhat by the heater element in the wiper blade. This device is not ment to be utilized with or replaceable by a conventional wiper blade, as in the case of the present invention, nor does the cover otherwise support any type of heating means.
Additionally, there have been many attempts to improve the wiping function of a windshield wiper in cleaning the outer surface of a windshield in cold weather; and various efforts in attempting to solve the problem of providing proper wiping performance in extremely frigid, snowy or icy conditions while also removing and keeping the wiper blade, frame and linkages free from interference by ice and snow, or otherwise flexible such that a special wiper blade would function on the surface of the vehicle windshield.
In this regard, the Meltzer et al. '345 patent discloses another of many specially adopted wiper blade assemblies wherein the electrical heating and resistence means is provided within the special blade member itself, with no use disclosed or intended with conventional vehicle wiper blade assemblies already provided with the vehicle. Along these similar lines the Ruminer U.S. Pat. No. Des. '014 patent discloses a design for a heated windshield wiper.
The Nielsen et al. '083 patent discloses a heated windshield wiper blade having a resistance wire running along the length of the wiper arm, the blade carrier and the wiper blade for the purpose of heating the blade and the carrier when it is connected to a vehicle's electrical system. In Nielsen, the path through which the heating-resistance wire travels, and the various associated connections, are reasonable complex for satisfying the purpose therein of providing the blade, which, in that case, is a non-conventional replaceable blade, with a function of being independently replaced in reference to its arm and carrier.
The Mabie '941 patent discloses a fairly complex windshield wiper assembly which incorporates a weather protective hood utilizing electrical conductors affixed on the outer wall of the hood and other conductors affixed on the inner wall of the hood to heat the hood and frame of this device to prevent the accumulation of ice.
The Deibel et al. '556 patent discloses a heated windshield wiper blade, described as an electrically heated weatherproof wiper blade. Deibel is, therefore, in the genre of the prior art where a specially adopted wiper blade element is provided with the device. Disclosed is a windshield wiper blade and arm assembly in which the blade has a pressure-distributing superstructure including a number of pivotally connected levers and a flexible backing strip for retaining a specially adopted rubber squeegee member. The superstructure and backing strip of Deibel are enclosed by an envelope of rubber or rubberlike material with a squeegee element extending exterior or outside of the envelope portion. The wiper blade of Deibel is provided with a heating element secreted between the squeegee member and its pressure applying and distributing frame. The envelope and the squeegee are both constructed from insulating material which, thereby, serve as electrical insulators for the heating element utilized in this invention.
The Toplenszky '933 patent discloses a wiper blade which is mounted within a mounting strip having an electrical heating resistance material therein; and the VanSickle '451 patent is of similar structure and function in disclosing a wiper assembly supported by a structure having a heating element with thermostat means. Neither Toplenszky nor VanSickle are provided with any type of heat supplied cover means; nor is either designed to be utilizable with a conventional wiper element and unit typically and conventionally provided with automobiles and trucks, or other vehicles.
Additionally, the Heckman et al. U.S. Pat. No. Des. '225 design patent discloses a wiper arm cover, which is not provided structurally or functionally with any type of pivotable or rotatable attachment means for connection to conventional wiper arm assemblies normally provided with motarized vehicles having windshields; nor is Heckman provided with heating means or moveable or pivotable attachment means for receiving a conventional wiper blade assembly. The structure, design and function are also distinguishable from that of the present invention's shroud assembly and system.
None of the references found and cited specifically illustrates the heating windshield wiper shroud system of the present invention. Nor is the present invention obvious in view of any of the prior art references listed herein. In addition, all of the relevant prior art heretofore known suffer from a number of disadvantages.
It will otherwise be indicated that none of the apparently crowded, prior art references herein teach concepts which provide a relatively simple and distinguishably improved assembly for a heated windshield wiper shroud system which provides specially bowed shroud means having a differentially spaced and widthed upper middle portion when viewed from a top view in longitudinal cross-section; so that a first upper smaller differential width spacing can receive a clippable pin to hold the shroud housing to a conventional wiper arm provided with a vehicle, and a second lower wider differential width spacing at this upper middle portion of the shroud housing can receive a second clippable pin to hold a conventional wiper blade within the shroud for heating and pivotable movement within and adjacent to the shroud of the present invention, with a heating means being supported by the internal roof portions of end portions of the shroud so that heating is provided directly above and adjacent to the installed conventional wiper blade assembly.
In the past, the prior art heated windshield wiper devices which could be utilized in any reasonable manner on conventional wiper arms provided with vehicles, have suffered from functionally and structurally deficient wiper blades, heating elements and placement and effective heating ability, ice and sludge prevention ability, wiper frame support and movement ability, covering design and shape/contour, spacing and support ability of any covering utilized. in relationship to a wiper blade, complexity and prolixity of electrical heating resistance construction and logistical placement, and the ability to be utilized reasonably, or in any manner, with already-available, conventional wiper blade units such as those provided with a vehicle; as well, otherwise, as complexity of construction.
There have been problems of design and construction in providing a covered and housed system which could both attach and be installable on both a conventional wiper arm provided as part of the construction of a vehicle and a conventional wiper blade characteristically also provided with a vehicle, being workably attached and functionally installed to each at the same time, with no specially adopted wiper blade containing an electrical heating element being necessary.
These and other disadvantages, structurally and functionally, of the prior art will become apparent in reviewing the remainder of the present specification, claims and drawings.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a substantially improved heating windshield wiper shroud system and assembly for installation and combination with a conventional wiper arm member and a conventional wiper blade, conventionally and characteristically provided with the same vehicle, for installable and secure use with each of these members at the same time.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a substantially improved, simplified and more easily manufactured, heated windshield wiper shroud housing and assembly, having an improved design, contour and shape for connection and installation to and with a conventional wiper arm and wiper blade such that a conventional wiper blade is provided with adjacent support, flexible movement and heating for more efficient movement and function on the outer surface of a vehicle windshield during frigid, icy or cold weather conditions.
It is a further object of the present improved invention to provide a novelly constructed, open-ended heating apparatus with a perforated duct system and heated fluid entry port to provide positional advantages to the dissemination of heat to conventional wiper arm, wiper frame and blade assemblies and adjacent vehicle windshield components and areas thereof; and to more advantageously supply a heated ambient fluid such as hot air, gas, liquid or colloidal suspension fluid to the duct system of the specially constructed shroud housing of the present invention.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a substantially improved, and otherwise novel and superior shroud housing assembly having a special middle portion differentially spaced in width longitudinally at two different vertical positions, to receive a first upper pin to secure the wiper arm unit and a second lower pin to secure a conventional wiper blade unit, with a perforated duct means for providing a heated ambient fluid being provided at first and second lateral end portions outside the middle portion of the shroud supporting the wiper arm and the wiper blade.
Additionally, it is a further object of the invention by utilization of its specially adopted shroud housing to provide easier and more efficient access vehicle-engine-generated convection currents for utilization in heating an ambient fluid such as collected air or a stored or supplied liquid fluid, for efficient communication as a heated fluid to the novel open-ended shroud housing subassembly and specially positioned perforated duct system and entry port of the present invention.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a substantially and distinguishably novel and improved heating windshield wiper shroud system and assembly which is shaped, constructed and otherwise adopted to allow, permit and assist movement of a conventional wiper blade unit on the outer surface of a vehicle windshield during icy, frigid and cold weather conditions, providing pivotable or rotional movement of the wiper blade within and adjacent to a shroud housing while providing at the same time adjacent and functional heating to the frame elements of a conventional wiper blade unit such that the wiper blade will be more flexible in more easily and functionally sliding across and over the windshield of a vehicle.
A further object is to provide a dual biasable and lockable clip means at each differential width apacing of the shroud for respective securement of the wiper arm (or wiper arm pin) and the wiper blade unit conventionally available with a vehicle.
It will, therefore, be understood that substantial and distinguishable structural and functional advantages are realized in the present invention over the prior art devices with regard to the shroud housing of the invention providing two level, locked support at differentially apaced width portions of the shroud's middle section for secure support and movement of a respective wiper arm unit and a respective wiper blade unit, conventionally provided with vehicles, and for advantageous and improved protection and adjacent heating of the wiper blade unit when in supported position within the shroud.